Suspension-track



{No Model.)

0. CARR. SUSPENSION. TRACK.

No. 406,195. Patented July 2, 1889.

FIG.*'

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WITNESSES. V INVENTOR.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES CARR, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SUSPENSION-TRACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 406,195, dated July 2,1 889.

Application filed Ju1y18,1888l sriaiuazvaese. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES CARR, of, 130s ton,in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have in vented certain Improvements inSuspension or Cable Track Roads, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon, which comprise a part of thisspecification.

The nature of my invention relates to the construction of the track; andit consists of acable provided with a sheathing of a certainconstruction and properly combined with and secured to the cable, allsubstantially as hereinafter more fully set forth and described.

With reference to the drawings, Figure l is a transverse section of thecable forming the main substance of the track, and showing in theirrelative positions the cable support or bracket, the sheathing orcable-covering, and a part of a car-wheel resting in position for travelthereon. Fig. 2 is a. side elevation showing the complete track,consisting of the cable and its sheathing as it rests in thesupporting-bracket, which is bolted to an upright post. Two lines oftrack are shown, one above the other. Fig. 3 shows the steel or ironplate as cut and punched ready to be bent into a U form of sectionpreparatory to bolting it upon the cable. Fig. 4 shows an enlarged viewof one end of the same. view of the same after being bent into saddle orU form. Fig. 6 is the end view of the same more perfectly bent or formedmore nearly to its final shape, and indicated within are the strands ofthe cable in dotted circles. Fig. 7 shows the end view of the sheathingas finally bolted to the cable, the inclosed dotted circles indicating,as above, the strands of the cable.

It has become quite apparent that in the adoption of wire cable as atrack on which to run the wheels of cars and locomotives there is aserious lack of perfect contact. This lack results in a lack of frictionor grip of the locomotive driving-wheels upon the track. It also bringsextraordinary wear upon cer. tain curves of the wirewhich form theseveral strands at their upward and sidewise eX- posure. There is also acertain pressing and Fig. 5 is a side crushing of these parts of thecable when thus imperfectly presented to' the tread of the wheel. Thisunequal strain and wear soon abrade3, injures, and even breaks theindividual wires at the points referred to, and tends to destroy tooearly the strength and sulficiency of the cable track.

My invention furnishes a remedy for these evils. It proposes to guardthe wires in their single capacity from the injuries referred to. Itproposes to utilize the strength of all the strands and all the singlewires without needless extraordinary wear or strain being imposed at anyindividual points. It also affords an excellent protection from exposureto the weather and climatic influences.

The invention serves, also, in some degree to distribute the loadimposed at the point of contact of each wheel.

The construction is as follows: A cable is stretched in the usualmethods. Sheets of metal, preferably steel or fine tenacious iron, areformed into strips, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4.. These strips aresubjected to a forming process (after being punched, as shown,preferably) and made to assume a form somewhat as shown in Fig. 5. Thesesheets or strips of metal in the saddle or inverted-U form are thensaddled upon the cable and are bolted through their lower parts, asillustrated in Fig.

'7. The bolts are screwed up to a tension' which will cause thesheet-metal jacket or saddle to clamp closely about the top and sides ofthe cable. The ends of the strips are so cut that one or more boltsshall pass through both strips or sections at each joint, therebysecuring a suitable union and continuity of the several sections, asshown in Fig. 2. It will be observed that this sheet-metal coveringjacket or saddle has a continuous fair bearing upon all the superficialprominences of the cable, and, having a good degree of stiit'ness inconsequence of its U form, serves to effectually distribute the load,which otherwise would be concentrated at the points of contact ofthewheels. These sections of covering may be curved longitudinally. tocorrespond with the sags and prominences of the cable, or may be madesufficiently lightto adapt themselves under the load applied in service.

1. A continuous sheet-metal cover formed of sections united and securedto each other by bolts, in combination with a continuous cable to form asuspension-track, substantially as described.

2. The cable-track-covering sections formed with overlapping ends, incombination with holding-bolts passing through both sections, and thecable, substantially as described.

3. The cable-track covering as cut or formed with diagonal ends andbolt-holes, in combination with the cable and bolts, substantially asdescribed.

4:. A cable-track cover or jacket made continuous by meansofinterlocking bolts through projecting ends, in combination with thecable, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a continuous cable and a continuous sheet-metalcovering formed of sections united to each other by bolts at their ends,and secured directly to the cable by means of said bolts and othertransverse bolts, substantially as described. CHARLES CARR. Vitnesses:

J. S. MARCH, D. N. B. COFFIN.

